Redefining Greatness: Strength in Humility and Weakness
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we explored the profound contrast between the world's systems of power and the kingdom of God as taught by Jesus. We began by examining Luke 22:24-26, where Jesus addresses a dispute among His disciples about who is the greatest. Jesus flips the script on worldly notions of greatness by emphasizing servitude and humility. He teaches that true greatness is found in serving others, not in asserting dominance or power.
We then delved into John 12, where Jesus speaks about His impending death, using the metaphor of a kernel of wheat that must die to produce many seeds. This paradox of life emerging from death underscores the transformative power of surrender and weakness. Jesus warns that many will miss this profound truth because they are too familiar with the concept without truly understanding it.
The story of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26) further illustrates this point. Peter's instinct to fight back when Jesus is arrested is met with Jesus' command to put away the sword, emphasizing that His kingdom does not operate through violence or force. Instead, Jesus calls for a radical form of strength that resists becoming the evil it faces.
We also looked at 2 Corinthians, where Paul speaks of God's wisdom being revealed through what the world considers foolish and weak. Paul reminds the church that God chose the lowly and despised things to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast. This alternative wisdom is a call to embrace our weaknesses, for it is in our moments of greatest weakness that we find God's strength.
Finally, we reflected on the story of the prodigal son, which illustrates that both the wayward and the self-righteous are equally loved by the Father. The story emphasizes that our worth is not based on our actions but on God's unconditional love. Jesus invites us to give up the exhausting game of proving ourselves and to find true strength in acknowledging our weaknesses and relying on God's grace.
### Key Takeaways
1. True Greatness in Servitude: Jesus redefines greatness by teaching that the greatest among us should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves. This radical redefinition challenges us to seek greatness through humility and service rather than power and dominance. [02:29]
2. Life Through Death: In John 12, Jesus uses the metaphor of a kernel of wheat to illustrate that true life and growth come through death and surrender. This paradoxical wisdom teaches us that in our moments of surrender and weakness, new life and transformation can emerge. [05:55]
3. Resisting the Urge to Retaliate: The story of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane highlights the natural human instinct to fight back when wronged. Jesus' command to put away the sword teaches us that true strength lies in resisting the urge to retaliate and instead embracing a path of peace and servitude. [10:10]
4. God's Wisdom in Weakness: Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians reveals that God's wisdom is often found in what the world considers foolish and weak. By choosing the lowly and despised, God nullifies the things that are, teaching us that our true strength is found in acknowledging our weaknesses and relying on God's grace. [16:21]
5. Unconditional Love and Acceptance: The story of the prodigal son illustrates that our worth is not based on our actions but on God's unconditional love. Both the wayward and the self-righteous are equally loved by the Father, inviting us to give up the exhausting game of proving ourselves and to rest in God's grace. [30:23]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:29] - True Greatness in Servitude
[04:04] - Life Through Death
[05:55] - Missing the Profound Truth
[07:02] - Familiarity Breeds Ignorance
[08:37] - Peter's Instinct to Fight
[10:10] - Resisting Retaliation
[11:35] - Jesus' Kingdom Manifesto
[12:59] - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
[14:35] - Alternative Wisdom
[16:21] - God's Wisdom in Weakness
[18:08] - Moments of Weakness
[19:48] - Embracing Reality
[21:24] - Hunger and Openness
[22:54] - The Foolishness of the Cross
[24:52] - The Strength in Weakness
[27:09] - The Gift of Weakness
[28:43] - The Parable of the Two Men
[30:23] - The Prodigal Son
[32:09] - Unconditional Love and Acceptance
[33:50] - Embracing Our Weaknesses
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Luke 22:24-26: "A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.'"
2. John 12:23-24: "Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.'"
3. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
#### Observation Questions
1. In Luke 22:24-26, what dispute arose among the disciples, and how did Jesus respond to it?
2. According to John 12:23-24, what metaphor does Jesus use to describe His impending death, and what does it signify?
3. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, what does Paul say about God's grace and power in relation to human weakness?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jesus' teaching in Luke 22:24-26 challenge the conventional understanding of greatness and leadership? [02:29]
2. What does the metaphor of the kernel of wheat in John 12:23-24 reveal about the nature of sacrifice and transformation in the Christian life? [05:55]
3. How does Paul's message in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 redefine the concept of strength and weakness in the context of faith? [16:21]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you sought to assert your own greatness or authority. How might Jesus' teaching on servitude and humility in Luke 22:24-26 change your approach in similar situations? [02:29]
2. Jesus speaks of life emerging from death in John 12:23-24. Can you identify an area in your life where surrender or letting go could lead to new growth or transformation? [05:55]
3. Think about a recent conflict or situation where you felt wronged. How can Jesus' command to "put away the sword" and embrace peace and servitude influence your response? [10:10]
4. Paul speaks of finding strength in weakness in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. How can you embrace your own weaknesses and rely more on God's grace in your daily life? [16:21]
5. The story of the prodigal son illustrates unconditional love and acceptance. How can you apply this understanding of God's love to your relationships, especially with those who may have wronged you or whom you find difficult to love? [30:23]
6. Jesus' teaching often goes against the grain of societal norms. How can you live out the alternative wisdom of Jesus in your workplace, community, or family? [12:59]
7. Reflect on the ways you might be playing the "exhausting game" of proving yourself. What steps can you take to rest in God's grace and find your worth in His unconditional love? [32:09]
Devotional
Day 1: True Greatness in Servitude
True greatness is found in serving others, not in asserting dominance or power. Jesus redefines greatness by teaching that the greatest among us should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves. This radical redefinition challenges us to seek greatness through humility and service rather than power and dominance. In Luke 22:24-26, Jesus addresses a dispute among His disciples about who is the greatest. He flips the script on worldly notions of greatness by emphasizing servitude and humility. This teaching invites us to reconsider our ambitions and the ways we seek to achieve them. [02:29]
Luke 22:24-26 (ESV): "A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.'"
Reflection: Think of a situation where you have sought recognition or power. How can you shift your focus to serving others in that context today?
Day 2: Life Through Death
In John 12, Jesus uses the metaphor of a kernel of wheat to illustrate that true life and growth come through death and surrender. This paradoxical wisdom teaches us that in our moments of surrender and weakness, new life and transformation can emerge. Jesus speaks about His impending death, using the metaphor of a kernel of wheat that must die to produce many seeds. This paradox of life emerging from death underscores the transformative power of surrender and weakness. Jesus warns that many will miss this profound truth because they are too familiar with the concept without truly understanding it. [05:55]
John 12:24-25 (ESV): "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 3: Resisting the Urge to Retaliate
The story of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane highlights the natural human instinct to fight back when wronged. Jesus' command to put away the sword teaches us that true strength lies in resisting the urge to retaliate and instead embracing a path of peace and servitude. Peter's instinct to fight back when Jesus is arrested is met with Jesus' command to put away the sword, emphasizing that His kingdom does not operate through violence or force. Instead, Jesus calls for a radical form of strength that resists becoming the evil it faces. [10:10]
Matthew 26:52-53 (ESV): "Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?'"
Reflection: Think of a recent conflict or disagreement. How can you choose a path of peace and servitude instead of retaliation?
Day 4: God's Wisdom in Weakness
Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians reveals that God's wisdom is often found in what the world considers foolish and weak. By choosing the lowly and despised, God nullifies the things that are, teaching us that our true strength is found in acknowledging our weaknesses and relying on God's grace. Paul speaks of God's wisdom being revealed through what the world considers foolish and weak. He reminds the church that God chose the lowly and despised things to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast. This alternative wisdom is a call to embrace our weaknesses, for it is in our moments of greatest weakness that we find God's strength. [16:21]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Reflection: Identify a weakness you often try to hide. How can you embrace this weakness and rely on God's grace to find strength?
Day 5: Unconditional Love and Acceptance
The story of the prodigal son illustrates that our worth is not based on our actions but on God's unconditional love. Both the wayward and the self-righteous are equally loved by the Father, inviting us to give up the exhausting game of proving ourselves and to rest in God's grace. This story emphasizes that our worth is not based on our actions but on God's unconditional love. Jesus invites us to give up the exhausting game of proving ourselves and to find true strength in acknowledging our weaknesses and relying on God's grace. [30:23]
Luke 15:20-24 (ESV): "And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt you had to prove your worth. How can you rest in God's unconditional love and acceptance today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "What is Jesus saying? Really simple. Right? My path, my way, my lens is servitude. We're told Jesus came to seek and to save and to lay himself down. I came to love and to sacrifice. Jesus here and in a number of places speaks of his kingdom, his way, as being one of giving and serving, one that he attaches the word weakness to rather often." [02:29] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Think about the moments in your life that have shaped you the most. Honestly, stay with me for a few more minutes here before we close. Think about the moments that have shaped you the most, that have helped you see what really, really matters. What are those moments? If you could trace them back. Rewind the clock. So many of mine, so many of mine, probably all of mine, most of mine, were when I was at my weakest moments." [18:08] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "When we acknowledge our need, what happens? What happens when we acknowledge our need? We're open to what? Grace. We're open to God and his grace. We're open to his strength. Paul says to the church in Corinth, think about yourselves for a moment at the beginning. You weren't wealthy, you weren't anyone of notice, you weren't famous." [19:48] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The good news, my friends, is you don't have to be God. You don't have to be the source of your own strength. So, friends, we have in Jesus, in that cross, the symbol of our faith, the ultimate act of weakness. He allowed himself to die. He gave himself away. The greatest act of love the world has ever seen." [33:50] (79 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We have a path. We have a lens. We have a system we can enter into, one that tells us, bids us, invites us to die. Would you pray with me? Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. just want to bless all those who are just so prone to comparison, jockeying for position, if you really just do project so much of your worth onto your kids. I just want to bless you." [33:50] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Jesus is reminding them of this stark contrast between the way he walks, the way his kingdom operates, and the way the world does. He's showing us, we'll see this as we keep going, these two systems, one that looks weak and another that looks strong. And he gives us this paradoxical, alternative wisdom." [04:04] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We see again and again how to Jesus, his world and his kingdom is a little upside down. Jesus looks weak regularly, but is actually actually the strong one. We see this in the teaching of Matthew 5. This is a picture of the new reality. Commentators often call the Sermon on the Mount, where this passage I'm about to read is from, his kingdom manifesto." [12:59] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Paul sets up the idea that there is, again, I want to use this phrase, alternative wisdom, because it's alternative to the rest of the world. That is not like how we are supposed to be. There's an alternative wisdom that is present in Jesus crucified. We read in 2 Corinthians, brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called." [16:21] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When the system hasn't rewarded you, you're more, you are most, let me try that again. When the system hasn't rewarded you, you are the most open to another kind of system. Or when you're at your weakest, you get a glimpse of a different way of being in the world. Do you see this? If the system's working for you and you're killing it and you're climbing the ladder, then a wisdom, a way like Jesus, isn't going to make a ton of sense to you." [21:24] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We learn in the scriptures that God is just not playing the are you worthy enough game, are you smart enough game, the are you good enough game. enough game, in your recognition of your weakness, you will find strength. Because you are just weak, and God is just strong. your recognition of your weakness, you will find strength." [24:52] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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